Strategize
And Get Promoted
As in most things,
what determines
your promotion
is still the
decisions you
make and how
you perform
in your current
job.

Negotiate
Your Way to SuccessBy
Lolita Villa

Some
people think that
their career is in
the hands of someone
else and that they
have little control
over the evolution
of their career. Although
at times you may perceive
that the most you
can do is just do
your job or look for
another one when you
are unhappy with the
present, and that
for the most part,
the boss dictates
your ascent up the
corporate ladder,
it's simply not true.
Like everything else
in life, career success
is a proactive choice.
And that covers influencing
decisions that are
supposedly beyond
your control such
as getting a raise,
improving performance
appraisals, getting
a promotion and such.

It's
a given that such
career decisions are
given by the boss
who usually bases
his/her opinions on
how well you perform
on the job. Just remember
though that doing
a job well is not
enough. External factors
also have a hand at
influencing your situation,
and you might find
that you have not
advanced much due
to a slump in the
economy, office politics,
personal differences
and a host of other
reasons outside your
job performance.

Keep
these things in mind
when you attempt to
negotiate your career
issues with your superior.
Knowing how to effectively
do this is a skill
that should not be
thought of as kissing
up (in our own local
slang: "sipsip")
to the boss. It is
a proactive move that
lets you take hold
of your career and
lets your boss know
your facts and issues
from your perspective.
Ultimately, this will
help him/her make
the best decisions
that will be the good
of all the parties
concerned.

Internal
PreparationBefore
attempting to propose
anything, first put
your house in order.
Evaluate your performance
and make certain whether
you feel that a vertical
or lateral move is
in order. Set reasonably
high standards to
negotiate for, and
make sure your entire
heart is in it; anything
less than that should
be shelved and saved
for a more appropriate
time.

Gather
your facts. Whatever
career move you've
set your heart on,
research on the details
and prepare a report.
Highlight all the
areas where you think
the company has benefited
as a result of your
contribution. Try
to find out how much
other people in the
same rank and skill
is getting paid these
days. See if the company
is ready for the move
you want to take.
Assess your current
standing and ask around
what people honestly
think of you. You
don't want your plan
to backfire when an
irked co-employee
thwarts your proposals
with contradictory
feedback.

Finally,
get the courage to
push your move forward.
Evaluate your side
at every angle and
prepare an answer
for every rebuttal
or question that you
foresee will be thrown
your way. During the
actual negotiating
process, losing your
cool or seeming uncertain
of your stand will
make you lose the
game. Having confidence
at the negotiating
table will give you
the aura of someone
who knows what he's/she's
doing and will convince
your boss that agreeing
to your proposals
is an appropriate
move.

Negotiating
Techniques When
you find yourself
at the negotiating
table, start on matters
that you agree with.
Confrontation is a
big no-no in negotiating.
Start on matters where
you share opinions
in, such as areas
where the company
or your department
can see improvement,
projects you've worked
on in which the boss
has deemed satisfactory,
and other similar
matters. Use these
things to back up
your proposals. Start
with questions that
are answered with
"yes" and
you'll see that you
may get a "yes"
all the way.

This
principle follows
in discussing issues:
don't be a naysayer,
even when you're chalking
up problems. The whole
world can be perceived
as either half-empty
or half-full, and
however you see it,
if you think it, you
will be right. Therefore
strive to see and
discuss things in
terms of opportunities
and not as problems.

Finally,
where differences
of opinion surface,
be prepared to compromise.
If you begin with
a goal and end up
with something different
from what you planned,
don't be disillusioned.
Remember that a negotiating
table lays out two
perspectives: yours
and your boss'. Combining
both perspectives
to reach a third solution
may actually be better
than what you started
with, especially if
it embraces both your
good and your company's.
Just make sure that
you don't make hasty
decisions on offers
that you feel uncertain
of. If you are given
a new idea that you
haven't thought of
before, ask for a
waiting period to
think the whole thing
over.

In
the end, the point
remains: you design
your career and where
you want to be. You
have the power to
change your life,
even in matters decided
by higher powers.
Take the best of what
life can offer and
maximize the opportunities
given to you.